Voluntary Submission

I’m trying to reconcile the dilemma between faith and what life teaches us regarding submission, sacrifice, and acceptance of someone else’s will superseding our own. Life teaches us to act independently of others. Men, particularly Black men, survive in this natural world because of their egos, stamina, and unwillingness to submit to the Man. Almost from birth, we are told we don’t have to take that off anyone. Stand up for yourself. It’s better to be a leader than a follower.

The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 11:1-3 that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hence, we are to submit to the will of God, follow the teaching and example of the life of Jesus Christ, be guided by the direction of the Holy Spirit…fly blindly into the fray, if you will. Faith will be your lighthouse. Ultimately, faith guided all of the prophets, including Moses. Faith brought the walls of Jericho down. The Red Sea was parted by faith, and Enoch was transformed by faith. Abraham was delivered by it. But the reality of the concept is still foreign to most of us because to follow and believe in what you can’t touch, see, or confirm by our senses goes against everything natural and learned in this life. If that was all there was to this, everybody should begin packing for hell because the devil has won. But there’s more to it, I believe.

We all know in the natural world that man does not live by bread alone. Love and its pursuit drive many of us to do great andsometimes ridiculous things. Can’t touch it. Friendship can characterize lifelong relationships and manifest itself in untold deeds of great significance. Can’t see it. Respect can change the behavior of the worst wrongdoers. Can’t taste or smell it. We are guided by the unseen every day in relation to people and things we honor and appreciate. The distinction must be brought to bear on faith in God instead of in man. You and I can easily have faith in a person we’ve come to trust. That manifests itself as loyalty. When we put God into the equation, we’re face to face with what we truly believe in or don’t believe in.

You know, and He knows. 

BAM!

Now what you gone do?

The dilemma, I believe, lies in this struggle every person looking for the Lord must encounter. It takes a while to get there, but the decision is simple once there. One decision will bring the bread of the world. The other will bring the fruit of eternal life. The promise is, “If you have faith as a mustard seed…nothing will be impossible to you.” Matthew 17:20.

The dilemma keeps us from seeking and, therefore, confronting our faith. I believe that’s just another tactic of the devil. As long as we do not confront the question of faith, we will never find the road to our own salvation. Patti LaBelle’s book is entitled “Don’t Block the Blessings.” I’m merely submitting for the record that I have work to do to come to grips with my faith so I can inherit the promise of grace and tell the devil he can have the rest of this stuff. It doesn’t mean anything anyway.

May God bless and keep you always.

This column is from James Washington’s Spiritually Speaking: Reflections for and from a New Christian. You can purchase this enlightening book on Amazon and start your journey toward spiritual enlightenment.

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